Mission Yacht For French
p. 37 · Read in the full issue
Oceania
From Our Own Correspondent PAPEETE, April, 10. rHE Mormons’ Mission organisation has purchased a trim 84 ft yacht, to be based at Papeete, for inter-island communication.
This 61-tons vessel is now called the 3 araita. She was originally called the fandango and was owned by Edward J.
‘auley. She was second, by 51 seconds, ti t i939 San Francisco " H °nolulu yacht race Before sailing for Tahiti, Fandango was entted at Wilmington (California). She
has a 120 hp auxiliary diesel engine, giving nearly 10 knots. After arrival in Tahiti, she was transferred to the French flag, and renamed Paraita in honour of one of the first Mormon missionaries, who landed on Tubuai in 1844.
Rugby Union football is now well estab lished in the Cook Islands —there are six clubs in Rarotonga, each with four teams, 12 teams in Aitutaki and eight in Atiu.
The Islanders hope eventually to be able to send touring teams to Fiji and New Zealand.
The Sunderland flying-boats, Takitimu, Mata-a-Tua and Tainui, which the NZ NAC used on its Auckland-Suva service before Tasman Empire Airways Ltd. took over the service a year ago, have been advertised in NZ for sale by tender. Tainui is little but a hull and wings—she has been stripped for spares for her sisters.
Takitimu is classed as a going concern; but Mata-a-Tua is said to need an “ex tensive overhaul.”